Guelders had been forcibly absorbed into Habsburg control in 1543 when Charles V compelled the last Duke, William of Cleves, to surrender the duchy after a short, failed war. By the time this fractional Philipsdaalder was struck under Philip II, Guelders was already a restive territory — the same decade saw the early stirrings of the Dutch Revolt. Fractional silver of this type circulated heavily in the border markets between the Habsburg Netherlands and the German states, which accounts for the wear typically found on survivors.
Guelders had been forcibly absorbed into Habsburg control in 1543 when Charles V compelled the last Duke, William of Cleves, to surrender the duchy after a short, failed war. By the time this fractional Philipsdaalder was struck under Philip II, Guelders was already a restive territory — the same decade saw the early stirrings of the Dutch Revolt. Fractional silver of this type circulated heavily in the border markets between the Habsburg Netherlands and the German states, which accounts for the wear typically found on survivors.